Our experience has shown us that moving home for many can be a stressful and challenging experience. At Mobile Storage Services we have developed a system to simplify the activity and take the pain out of moving but we can only do this when we get involved in the process. There are a lot of things to look out for even before we carry out your move and we thought we would give you some ideas and a handy to have checklist of things to do on the run up to a move that will reduce the hassle involved.
Purge
By our nature we are hoarders due to our instinct to hibernate and store but that was many thousands of years ago. You need to take a “firm” look at what you have and decide what will go and what will be disposed of before your move. Don’t do it all on the one day as it will lead to bad judgement decisions. Take a room at a time and decide what you are keeping and ask why you are keeping it. Go through all your drawers and wardrobes and a tip would be if you haven’t used it in over a year, get rid of it. Also be aware of the space available to you in your new home. The amount of times we have moved a large piece of furniture out of one house but it won’t fit into another is very high. Genuinely ask yourself this question as we see it happening all too frequently.
Services
You will need to notify your suppliers of services in good time before your move. And that includes the new home and not just the one you are moving out of. There is nothing worse than arriving to a property with no power or running water or even worse, with unpaid bills outstanding on them. Try where possible to arrange your move around “bin day” and see can you do a deal with your provider to provide additional space for you at this time. You would be surprised what a good chat with your friendly waste collector might achieve.
Have a sale
When you have decided on what you are not taking with you, have a sale. Something that doesn’t fit any more or won’t look well in your new home might be worth something to others. A few selling portals which might be of interest in Ireland are Donedeal.ie, gumtree.ie, advert.ie, ebay.ie or go along to a car boot sale. You can bring along a flask of tea and make a day of it. They can be great fun especially if the weather is good. Alternatively ask your friends or family around, they might be interested in something you are not taking and in return they might help you to pack what you are taking. Another great option is to donate to a charity of your choice.
Returned borrowed or rented items and call in anything you have loaned
If you are moving some distance from your current location take a mental note to tidy up loose ends and return things that have been borrowed. Also don’t be afraid to ask your neighbour for your hedge clippers back as you might not see them for some time to come – if at all !!!
Organise the things you are going to keep
Keep similar things together even if you have not yet started the packing process, rate things in your mind in terms of importance. Even the most dedicated removals company won’t know what is most important to you. Be very careful when choosing a place for paperwork. Critical paperwork such as passports, leases, property deeds etc. must be kept away from the general flow of packing because to lose such paperwork in a move is not uncommon and can add to stress levels.
Take an inventory
Try to identify boxes from each room of the house and document. A good way to do this is to pick up some cheap coloured labels and label each room with a different colour code. Another simple way to remind you is to take a simple video of each room on your phone before you pack it off. That way you will have a fair idea of where to locate it when moved to your new home.
Begin to collect packaging
On the run up to a move begin to ask friends and colleagues to hold newspapers and boxes for you to ease the cost of packing your belongings. Ask at work or in various supermarkets for strong boxes and a strong tip would be take great care when taping up the bottom of boxes. At Mobile Storage Services we see this problem on a “daily basis”!! The purchase of tape is a small outlay in the overall picture of what you are doing so don’t scrimp on the tape and make sure it is of good quality to protect your belongings. If you would like more details on packaging materials or a packaging service talk to our team as we can provide everything you need for your move.
Create a file
Create a dedicated moving file with all your relevant paperwork. You will need to have a central point for all paperwork pertaining to the move, invoices / receipts for work carried out etc. and also for the important documents mentioned above. You are moving home so you may need paperwork for proof of identity for connection of services, birth certs for new schools, register to vote, sourcing a new family doctor etc. Keep such important information close at hand.
Follow the Checklist
We have compiled what we think is a fairly comprehensive checklist of landmarks along the way for those who are moving and although all moves will be different almost everything in this list will need addressing along the way. Tick each box as it is completed and that way you will not miss important activities – and lastly try to make it fun !!!!
photo credit: mattcornock via photopin cc
